2. Concern about Rafeal's marriage
The echo of his polished shoes against the marble floor was the only sound in the cavernous Blackwood mansion as Rafael stepped through the double doors. He shrugged off his suit jacket and handed it to a waiting housekeeper, loosening the stiff collar around his neck. The air was still, heavy with the kind of silence only extreme wealth could afford—luxurious, vast, and cold.
But tonight, something was different.
He sensed it before he saw it. The faint scent of old books and vintage tobacco lingered in the air—a scent that never came from him.
"Back early from the auction,” came a gravelly voice from the lounge
Rafael glanced to the side and found his grandfather seated in one of the worn leather chairs by the fireplace, a half-full glass of whisky in hand. The flames cast a warm, flickering glow across his weathered face. Elias Blackwood was a man of rare words but strong opinions. He had built the original foundation of Blackwood International with blood and bone before Rafael took it to impossible heights.
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**Walked in, silent as always, and poured himself a drink without asking**
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
Didn’t expect to see you here**said mildly**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
I Had a feeling you’d be in one of your thoughtful moods tonight**said sipping his whisky**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
And you know I don’t like talking to walls
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**Smirked faintly and took the chair opposite him, long legs crossed, posture relaxed**
There was a beat of silence before Elias leaned forward.
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
I saw the press. Another hostile acquisition. Clean. Efficient. Ruthless
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
**Not unproud**But all this... it’s not everything, Rafa
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
........
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
You’re 28. You’ve built an empire. And yet you come home to this—empty halls and business reports. When will you start thinking about settling down? About having something that isn’t built from contracts and control.
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**He Took a sip of whisky, expression unreadable**
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
I’m not interested in a business merger disguised as a marriage**he said flatly**You know that.
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
That's not what I am suggesting
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
I don’t care about some society girl or legacy alliance. I’m asking if there’s someone. Someone you actually see yourself with
For a moment, Rafael didn’t answer
Then he thought of her-- Lorraine
The girl with messy hair and oversized glasses, whispering to sculptures like they were old friends. He didn’t even know her full name at the time, but her words had echoed in his mind all night. Something about the quiet defiance in her voice, the unapologetic way she existed in a world that didn’t deserve her—it stuck
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**Uninvited, his lips curved into a subtle smile**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
**Raised a thick, grizzled brow**
Did you just smile?
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**He blinked**No
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
You did**said, squinting at him**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
That wasn’t a corporate smirk. That was a geniune smile
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
Don’t be dramatic
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
God help us** he muttered, shaking his head with a laugh**
There’s a woman, isn’t there?
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
She’s… interesting**He admitted, voice almost too quiet to hear**
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
Unusual. I’ve never met someone who spoke the way she did. She wasn’t trying to charm anyone. She just was.
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
**Leaned back in his chair, amused**That sounds dangerously close to admiration
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**Gave him a side glance**Don’t get hopeful. I don’t even know her name.
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
That’s fixable. You’ve found people with less information before
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
That’s usually for hostile takeovers, not conversations
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
Still, same skillset** He said with a smirk**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
It’s time to use that power of yours for something other than destruction
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**Hummed**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
I will take it as yes **swirl his wine glass**
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
**chuckled lightly**
They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the fire crackle between them. It was rare—this kind of peace. Not the calculated calm of a boardroom, but the warm, unspoken understanding between two men cut from the same stone.
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
You ever regret it?
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
Regret what?
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
Building all of this. Losing people along the way
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
**He sighed Eyes distant** Sometimes. But not always. I lost people, yes. But the ones that mattered—your grandmother, your parents—they were worth more than all the rest. You can build the world, Rafa, but it won’t mean anything if you don’t have someone to come home to
Rafael nodded once, the words sinking deeper than he let on
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
Anyway ** He said, rising slowly with the creak of old joints** when you do find her—this mysterious woman who made you smile—just make sure you don’t push her away before she even knows what you are
Rafeal Blackwood/Ml
I’ll think about it **he murmured**
Elias Blackwood/Ml Grandfather
Don’t think too long ** replied, patting his shoulder** She might not wait forever.
As the old man walked away, Rafael remained seated, eyes flickering toward the shadows dancing along the walls
For once, the silence around him didn’t feel so empty
It felt like the beginning of something he hadn’t let himself hope for in a long time
Elias Blackwood (74 yrs old)
A man who once built an empire with calloused hands and a sharp mind, Elias Blackwood is the revered patriarch of the Blackwood family. Now in his early eighties, Elias exudes timeless dignity, with sharp gray eyes that miss nothing and a voice that still commands boardrooms and family dinners alike.
A self-made industrialist in his youth, Elias laid the foundation of the Blackwood conglomerate before passing the reins to his grandson, Rafeal. Unlike the cold pragmatism of modern tycoons, Elias believes in legacy, loyalty, and love—principles that he fears Rafeal is losing sight of.
Though firm and sometimes traditional, Elias possesses a dry wit and hidden warmth. He’s the only one who can tease Rafeal and live to tell the tale. Despite his wealth, he leads a relatively simple life at the family estate, tending to old books, vintage chessboards, and memories of his late wife, whom he loved dearly.
He’s deeply concerned about Rafeal’s emotional solitude and often nudges him toward settling down—not for the sake of heirs, but because he wants his grandson to experience a love that’s real, not strategic.
Elias is the quiet force behind many turning points, his wisdom shaping more than just the Blackwood business—but the heart of the man who will one day lead it fully.
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